Stockbridge’s STEM program sets focus on engineering and 3-D printing 

by Bob Richards

The award-winning STEM program at Stockbridge Junior/Senior High School continues to evolve with the ever-changing technological world. The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM program strives to inspire, engage and educate students, all while making a positive impact on the world.

Grades 7 and 8

Beginning in the fall, the seventh- and eighth-grade STEM sessions will see an increased emphasis on computer-aided design and 3-D Printing. Stockbridge Junior/Senior High School has a cutting-edge 3-D printing and additive manufacturing lab that contains 20 3-D printers, and 20 laptop computers for student use.

• All seventh-grade STEM Exploratory students will complete a 3-D design and printing project.
• Eighth-grade STEM Exploratory students will use 3-D printing to create components for an electric-powered gear car. They will learn to add electricity and electronics into their 3-D printing project.

Grades 9-12

The 3-D printing and additive manufacturing learning opportunities continue at the high school level.

Stockbridge Junior/Senior High School offers a CAD and 3-D printing class as an elective for all ninth- through 12th-grade students. In this class, students will learn to use Autodesk’s Fusion360 to create 3-D models and traditional 2-D drawings. This year, students in the CAD and 3-D printing class will partner with the 5 Healthy Communities Foundation to design and build a sensory wall/sign.

Students will use their 3-D modeling skills to create 3-D models of naturally occurring items such as maple leaves or acorns. Then students will be 3-D printing them for use on signs for nature trails and outdoor classrooms.

Teachers and naturalists may also use the 3-D printed manipulatives to explain the natural world through touch, aiding visually impaired students and others.

Robotics is an important part of the Stockbridge Junior/Senior High School’s STEM curriculum with several class offerings.

In the entry level and elective class, simply called “Robotics,” students in grades 9-12 focus on building robots and mechanics. Each week, they learning by building a new robot of increased capability and difficulty. The class has enough material and kits to build up to 24 robots at a time. Thanks to help from the Autodesk Company, this year’s students will be able to use Autodesk Inventor to create detailed 3-D models of their robots and prepare detailed CAD drawings for their creations.

Underwater robotics, the capstone of the STEM program since 2010, is changing its name to “Marine Technology” and “Marine Technology Projects.” This change more accurately reflects student course work:

• The heart of the Marine Technology class will still be centered on building an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) and competing in the MATE International ROV Competition. Students also have the opportunity to work with other forms of marine technology, such as search sonar, drones, underwater camera systems and water quality sensors.
• In the advanced Marine Technology Projects class, students will work on advanced individual and team projects. This year’s team project comprises an Expedition to American Samoa where the team will work with the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and high school students in American Samoa. Students will use their ROV and underwater camera systems to conduct a bottom fish study, search for a geothermal vent and attempt to video palolo worms spawning.

Advanced individual projects vary based upon student interest. Some examples include building a 3-D printed prosthetic arm, a brain computer interface to control drones or machines, and using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to sort and identify underwater or aerial images.

Many student projects carry over into the next semester or school year, and they sometimes form the basis for scientific presentations or papers and occasionally a patent application.

Students enrolled in the Marine Technology and Marine Technology Projects classes are also part of the co-curricular student group called the Stockbridge InvenTeam,™ affiliated with the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams™ Program.

High school students, educators, and mentors compose Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams™ and may receive up to $10,000 each to invent technological solutions to real-world problems of their own choosing.

To follow the progress of this year’s Stockbridge InvenTeam™ or for more information aboutStockbridge Junior/Senior High School’s STEM program, follow the InvenTeam™ at facebook.com/StockbridgeInvenTeam or contact Mr. Richards at richardr@panthernet.net.